There are many fluids on the market today that must be accurately and carefully poured into a small opening without spilling any of the fluid during the process of pouring it. Often, the fluid is toxic, difficult to clean, costly, or some combination thereof.
Motor oil is a fluid that frequently is poured and inadvertently spilled, creating an undesirable situation. Motor oil is commonly sold in plastic bottles that are typically available in two sizes: one-quart and one-gallon containers. When the motor oil contained therein is poured into the small opening leading into the oil case of an engine, a separate funnel (disposable or non-disposable) is often required to direct the poured oil into the small opening of the oil case. The assistance of a funnel is used to avoid messy and difficult-to-clean spills on and around the engine. However, many times a funnel is not conveniently located nearby for use when pouring the oil. Without a funnel, successfully directing all of the oil poured from a motor oil container into the small opening of the engine oil case can be difficult and challenging for many people.
In addition to fouling the engine area with oil and oil residues, the hand of the person pouring the oil can also become contaminated with oil. The spillage on the engine is cumbersome and time consuming to clean, as well as being harmful to the environment. And even with the use of an oil funnel, spills can occur on the engine immediately when the funnel is withdrawn from the oil case prematurely. Also, non-disposable funnels need to be carried and stored carefully and appropriately, but many times the funnel is simply placed on a dusty shop floor or in a similarly open, dirty contaminated holding area.
Office water coolers provide another example of a common pouring problem from an inverted container. Water bottles typically are delivered for use with a dispenser that requires that the water bottle first be opened, and then inverted prior to resting on top of the dispenser. However, the bottle is very large, and a large volume of water is heavy. During the process of lifting and inverting the bottle, the water begins to pour out of the bottle and onto the floor, even before the open mouth of the bottle is inserted within the top of the dispenser. The water that escapes the bottle typically falls on the floor around the dispenser, leaving a puddle that must be removed to avoid causing a possible slip-and-fall accident.